This morning came up to the Key, the Snow 'Dickenson;Wmiaip.Meston, Master, from Philadelphia, bound to Nantz in Old Fr;ince; where she was to discharge her loading, and take in a cargo of warlike' ;stores and ammunition for the use of the Continental Army. She was ー taken up and fitted out by order of the Congress, and consigned to Messrs. Montandouin and Frere, merchants, in Nantz, as appears by the Captain's orders which are here-under copied verbatim. The !\fate a11d people on board, finding that they were to load with warlike stores forthe use of the Americans, and having;, a~:~hey declare~ been forced into-the service, took the vessel, and instead of proceeding to France, 1 determined to make the first British Port. They accordingly brought her 1 into Bristol, after beating upwards of a fortnight about the mouth of the
Channel; and the Mate is immediately going off for London, and will take all the letters and papers which were on board the said vessel, for the inspection of Government.
She is a very fine vessel, about 250 tons burthen, and now lies at the ! Quay, till the determination of Government concerning her is known.
Her cargo, which consists of 2221 barrels of flour, 260 boxes of Spermacaeti Candles, 13 casks, and I bag Bees-wax, and 5600 barrel staves, is valued at near 60001. and the vessel is worth upwards of 15001. She is the first American vessel that has been brought into England since the Act passed for granting the seamen certain privileges and rewards for seizing any of the Provincial Ships, &c.
The particular articles mentioned in the owners letters to the French merchants to whom her cargo was consigned, are as follows; 1500 stands of arms, with bayonets, and steel ramrods; 15 tons of good gunpowder, or in case of not procuring the powder, to get the same quantity of saltpetre, with 15 lb. of sulphur to every hundred weight of salt-petre; and if not able to get any of those articles, to bring returns back in specie.
The following vessels sailed at the same time the Dickenson did, all bound for different ports in France, and on the same business; but as she is a very swift sailer, she left them soon after they put to sea; The Ship Sally, Rowland [Thomas Rawlins]; Neptune, [Robert] Collins; the Aurora, Cheeky; and three Brigs, Captain's names Montgomery, Bethel, and Martin, and many other vessels, the names of which are forgot.
About three Weeks before the Dickenson left Philadelphia, a French Nobleman, (who with another Gentln of the same nation had been sometime treating with Continential Congress, and had visited the Camp of the Grand Army at Cambridge, in New-England) 1 had put his baggage on board her, and was to have went passenger to Nantz; but, as she was very deep laden, and another vessel in the same Employ arriving there in ballast, he had all his effects removed on board the last, and is supposed to be now on his passage for France. The day they came down Delaware river, a French vessel, laden with powder, ball, and small-arms, arrived there.
The above circumstances, together with the vast preparations now making by our natural enemies, seem to be a prelude to something more serious than the generality of people are aware of.
